Earth boring apparatus



April 18, 1933.

"c. POWELL ET AL EARTH BORING APPARATUS Filed May 6, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I ragga-r0 s Aim ATTORNEY) April 18, 1933. I c; WEL ET AL 1,904,249

EARTH BORING APPARATUS Filed May 6, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY WM V I ATTQRNEY:

25 ture whenever excessive driving torque must be scarifying tool 68 is shown on the ower end (1 of the kelly,

Patented Apr.'18,1933

UNITE STATES PATENT oFFica 1|- POWBIJI, 01 NEW YOBK, AND HIE-BEAN BI SMITH, O1 DOUGLAS'IOH, NEW

203x. ASSIGHOBS 1'0 oonrom'rron .01 nmwm CAIBSOIN GDNTBAC'I'ING 01' NEW YORK, N. I, A

' EARTH BORING APPARATUS It has been customary inthe earth-boring art tosupport boring tools and their driving ,means on rotatable cranes mounted on tracp tors. The boring apparatus has been carried 5 by theboom of the crane,.and at a height from the round sui'n'cient to permit swinging a loaded ucket to a discharge positionv above a motor truck or elevated hopper. In some boring or drilling operations, in 19 which the detritus is washed out of the hole b flow of water, it is unnecessary to elevate a bucket for dumping purposes.

In some kinds of drilling, the amount of power required for rotating the tool is so great that it is impractical to take the torque-reaction on the boom of the crane.

An object of the present invention is to provide ways and means for increasing the range ofusefulness of the entire apparatus 59 by adapting it to support the tool-rotating means either at an elevated position on the rotatable part of the crane whenever it is necessary to'swing a bucket above a truck, or on the non-rotating part of the crane strucbe resisted. The latter position may also used to advantage when water flow is use for removing the cuttings.

Further and other objects and advantages will be apparent fromthe specification an claims, and from the accompanying drawillilgs which illustrate what is now considered t e Fig. 1 shows the apparatus in operative position with the drive motor,gearing,-etc., mounted on the rotatable part of the crane, the optional position of them parts being shown inbroken lines. g Fig. 2 shows the apparatus inoperative position with the drive motor, gearing, etc.-, mounted on the ground-gripping part of the crane, the other optional position of those parts being shown inbroken lines.

In the drawings, the cab of the crane is '45 designated 10. It contains wmdmg drums 12, 14, 16, an engine 18, and a generator 20. Mounted in usual manner on beams 22 which PP" 24- The above appara is rotatable on caterpillar tractor 26 by means of geag 28 referred embodiment. of the invention.

rhthe cab and machinery is boom and pinion 30. The usual hoisting and control cables 32, 34, 36 and 38 are provided, 8.88111 around their respective drums. In ig. 1, rotar bucket 40, shown in the hole in the groun is rotatable through the instrumentality of telescopic kelly 42, 44, by gear 46, which, in turn is driven .by motor 48 through a train-of gears'including inion 50. The above rotating apparatus is l supported on frame 52, mounted"at54 on boom 24 oi the crane. Stay-rods 56 provide support for the outer end of frame 52, being attached at their upper ends to boom 24. With the above dBSCIlbGdhOOk-UP it is possible to raise the bucket well above the ground 05 level, and to swing the crane to place the bucket in discharge position above a motor truck or an elevated hopper.

In Fig. 2 the kelly rotating means'is supported from the nontrotatable part of the 1p crane, preferably from an axle 60 or other.

substantial member of the ground-gripping structure. Stay-rods 62 extend cm the outer end of frame 52 to a point 64 on boom 24. In this modification of the 'ap aratus a '15 instead of the bucket 40 as in Fig. 1. With this kind of digging tool the detritus is usually carried out of the hole by d flow of water, therefore it is never necessary so to raise the tool to an elevation above the truck, thus permitting the torque reaction to be taken on the non-rotating, ground-grip ping portion of the machine. This location of the rotating means enables more power to so be applied to the tool and incidentally enables the same length of kelly bar to dig a dee 1 hole.

. It will be appreciated that hoisting cable 32 is available to the operator for moving the 90 rotating means from either of its operative positions to the other; Y

It is to be und rstood that the invention is not-limited to the specific embodiment herein illustrated and described,but may be used in as other ways without departure from its spirit as'defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for boring into the ground tion; e crane having a non-rotntebie gronnd grippin structure with e rotetebie structure mounte thereon; means iorroteting rotary 7 tools; and means on the gronn&-gripping nndi Eli-rotatable portions of said crane for opera tiveiy supporting the rotating means on either at the will of the operator 2. Apparatus for boring into the grounoi with rotary tools, comprising in combine- I 1 tion; a crane having at non-rotatable groundigripping structure with a; rotatable structure mounted thereon; moons for rotating rotery tools; means on the grouni-gripping nnri rotatnbie portions of said crene tor operative- Iy supportin the rotating means on either em the will of tie operator, enci hoisting menne carried by said crane for moving said sup porting means from one of said positions to the other, substantially as described. no. '3. In combination, 2% tractor, n boom rotetably mounted thereon, rotnry enrth boring; apparatus, and su porting means on the tractor and boom for supporting the boring apparatus in either, position at the 2-5, will of theopernt/or.

In testimony whereof we hereto nfiiix our signatures,

, CHARLES L. MERE/MN 

